Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and deeply bruised
- 25 g fresh galangal, thinly sliced
- 4 makrut lime leaves, torn
Liquids and Seasonings
- 500 ml vegetable broth, low-sodium preferred
- 400 ml coconut milk, full-fat, unsweetened
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 15 g palm sugar, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Using a meat mallet or the heavy handle of a chef's knife, aggressively crush the lemongrass stalks to release their essential oils. Tear the makrut lime leaves slightly to expose their fragrant edges.
Combine the vegetable broth, bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal, and torn lime leaves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer at 95 degrees C or 203 degrees F, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes to extract the deep aromatic flavors.
Uncover the saucepan and pour in the full-fat coconut milk, fish sauce, and chopped palm sugar. Maintain a very gentle simmer at 85 degrees C or 185 degrees F for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let the mixture reach a rapid boil, or the coconut milk may curdle.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour the infused stock through a fine mesh strainer into a clean heatproof container, pressing lightly on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the spent aromatics.
Chef's Notes
- Galangal is piney, citrusy, and earthy, quite different from ginger which is primarily pungent and spicy. If you must substitute ginger, use half the amount and add a strip of lime zest to approximate the missing citrus notes.
- Bruising the lemongrass is non-negotiable. The tough cellular walls must be crushed to release the citronella and aromatic oils directly into the liquid matrix.
- For a richer mouthfeel and more decadent base, use coconut cream instead of coconut milk, or a combination of both depending on how robust your final dish will be.
- Palm sugar provides a deep, rounded, caramel-like sweetness that specifically counterbalances the intense savory salinity of the fish sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The coconut fat will solidify on top; stir vigorously when reheating.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in usable portions. The emulsion may break upon thawing but will easily come together when heated and stirred.
Reheating: Warm gently over low heat, stirring constantly. Do not bring to a rolling boil.
